Things in Calcutta...

One of those things you see and just have to take a picture of...


The most stylish goat in all of Calcutta.

The holiday season here has been fun so far... although the air pollution is pretty fierce (MUCH worse than my experience in Mexico City, which has such a bad reputation).

Have done a wee bit of sight-seeing but then again, it's not like there is a lot to really see here -- it's more the experience of the city's energy that is the attraction.

The Kali Temple was pretty intense. A guide took us around and showed us where they sacrifice some 40 goats a day for the deity (saw a couple of severed heads being passed around) and then a purification area where a guy was standing in lamb's blood, I do believe, washing himself with water... Then we pushed our way down a small alley to a window where another man yelled at all of the jostling people behind him and they gave way momentarily to reveal the face of Kali to us. Very cool. And Kali is quite futuristic looking! After this vision, we were anointed and taken to another baths area where we paid the guide too much, got a little string bracelet (that bled immediately on to our skin) and were bid adieu.

The Kali Temple is right beside Mother Teresa's home for the dying and destitute and since they were closed for midday, there were a lot of people begging and just lying about waiting to get in... quite the scene, that.

We have a few more days here in Calcutta and then on the 1st, it's off to Bodhgaya for some more peaceful environs (provided that there are no bandits on the road between there and Gaya...)

Here are some more recently captured pictures:



Kali Temple


Shiva Temple


OK.


Enjoying some Indian bubbly on X-Mas Eve.
Methode champenoise, so it was pretty tasty!


Another cow pic for the fans...


Where the cows go in Muslim and Christian areas...